Parliament staff no longer under PSC

He disclosed this at a Long Service Awards and Dinner on Saturday night at Crowne Plaza.

He said that Parliament’s reliance on the PSC for recruiting and maintenance of its staff caused delays in filling vacancies. “This dependence remains an impediment to the effective delivery of support to the Parliament,” he said.

Sinanan said he had widely consulted other parliaments such as those of Barbados, UK, Canada and New Zealand, for a solution.

The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, he related, had in 2000 agreed that there should be established a Parliamentary service which would recruit staff exclusively for Parliament.

He said legislation for the implementation of this decision is currently being drafted by the ministry of the Attorney-General. Sinanan hailed the parliamentary staff, saying they contributed to the success of the institutions of Parliament. “You are the unique people who demonstrate unfailing commitment to serving Members of Parliament irrespective of party affiliation,” he said.

They were also unique, he added, because they were able to exist in the middle of a sometimes intense political arena and yet remain out of it.